Posted on 06/29/2007 7:46:33 AM PDT by L.N. Smithee
Well, I didn't like Cars, so perhaps I'm not the person to ask. Still, their output has been amazing.
One of the things I so admire about Pixar's team is their love of story. Put the project in the hands of good people, and get out of their way without ego - telling a good story is the first priority.
And sure enough, when John Lassetar took over Disney animation, the first thing he did was stop the endless stream of mediocre direct-to-video sequels. Good for him.
It's not addressed because it is not true. Rats actually make great pets, especially for children:
Looking for a small pet with lots of personality, energy, and easy maintenance? Soft, affectionate, clever, and small enough to ride on your shoulder? The rat is one of the best kept secrets in the pet care world. If you have never thought of rats in a positive way, it is time to free yourself from cultural indoctrination and reconsider.
Most of the DBM guys I saw complaining about Incredibles weren’t even reviewers, they were at best entertainment commentators and frequently just regular columnists. The same crowd of idiots that just recently complained about the lack of “abortion talk” in Knocked Up. Incredibles is a really good movie, especially if you’re a fan of Golden or Silver Age comics which is where most of its aesthetic comes from.
Thanks for the info, I’ll check it out.
No Capes!
It's strange that you bring that up, because it brings me back to my note about Janeane Garofalo.
For years, I held a grudge against Holly Hunter (the voice of Mrs. Incredible) for her portrayal of Norma McCorvey (bka "Jane Roe") in a controversial TV-movie called Roe v. Wade. In an Entertainment Tonight interview about a potential boycott, she said something like "Having a baby just isn't an option for some people."
Fast forward to a few years ago: I was in a thrift store and saw some VHS videotapes from someone's personal collection on sale for $1 each. "What the heck," I thought, "If I don't like what's been recorded on them, I can always tape over it." One of the programs recorded was an HBO TV-movie called Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, an anthology of female-centered stories. One of the stories featured Hunter as a single woman living alone but having an affair with a married man (played by the late Gregory Hines). She becomes pregnant, and she expects him to leave his wife for her and raise their child. He balks, and she calmly and coolly sets about getting an abortion. After the deadly deed is done, she walks away from the clinic (being unable to drive, of course) bearing no expression on her face at all. Then, she suddenly dropped to her knees in the middle of the sidewalk and sobbed uncontrollably.
I don't know what Hunter's personal views on abortion are, but after having played the now-repentant McCorvey as a heroine, it took some major guts to play a woman whose post-abortion regrets were immediate and severe.
Thankfully, I had no reservations about watching a movie starring Hunter when it came to her turn in The Incredibles.
LOL!!! (His "outtakes" in Cars were the only thing I liked about that movie.)
I don’t know about Hunter’s politics (I assume she’s a lib), but I’ve always liked her, going back to “Broadcast News” and “Raising Arizona.”
I was thinking at the end of the Incredibles, where’s Ratzenberger? And they waited right to the very end to get him in there.
Generally I don’t worry about the external politics of people involved in a movie, especially if they’re just camera or voice talent because I know how little effect they actually have on the content of a movie. Like Holly Hunter is just a really good actress, love her work with the Coen brothers, Broadcast News is on my must watch every election cycle list (along with Power and Network, they remind me not to take it all so seriously) so I don’t really care what her opinions are. Garofalo has excellent comic timing and delivery, so long as she’s not writing her own material (or even when she is on the rare occasion she stays away from politics) I generally find her pleasant.
I’m just not one of those people who needs to see politics everywhere. Which is why I find things like the lib objections to Knocked Up and Incredibles so funny. Of course libs aren’t the only ones who do it, they just tend to be funnier about it.
As much as I liked Incredibles and Ratatouille, my favorite so far is Monsters, Inc., which sadly didn't get the recognition it deserved after the first Shrek movie was a sleeper smash.
It takes a lot to get me to tear up at a movie. It's a Wonderful Life gets me every time, but I was not ready for the emotional punch at the end of Monsters, Inc. At the very end, when Boo said, "Kitty!" that did it. Thank goodness I was watching alone.
Fantastic review! I was wondering whether it was worth it to take the kids to see at the grand old El Capitan in Hollywood. I see that it is. Great. We go to very few kids’ movies these days because of the subversive social messages. But we did love The Incredibles for the reasons you mention and it sounds like this one’s a winner too.
*
As a mother of three, I end up seeing more kids' movies than adult fare. Thus, thank God for Pixar -- a company the same age as my eldest. The overwhelming majority of the rest is either overly crude or absolute dross. Blech.
**
Slim: What's the point of going out there? They'll only laugh at me.
P.T. Flea: That's because you're a clown!
Slim: No, it's because I'm a prop. You always cast me as the pole, the broom, the stick... a *splinter*!
P.T. Flea: You're a walking stick. It's funny! Now go!
Slim: You parasite.
I saw Ratatouille a week ago in a preview with my 3 neices. I would rate it a good movie with the usual amazing detail Pixar does. It’s a fun movie and I would recommend it. I was unaware of Garofalo doing the voice of the female until after and I would still recommend it but it was nice to watch it not knowing it was her.
...But the film is virtually adult-proof -- even grown-ups who claim to hate animated movies will enjoy this one -- and should lead to Bird finally getting the credit he deserves. While the filmmaker's work on "The Incredibles" wasn't exactly ignored (he received a screenwriting Oscar nomination and won the best animated feature award), this should be the movie that makes him known as a great director, without the qualifier "of animated movies" tacked on to the end of the statement."Ratatouille" is a classic.
Were you able to place the inspiration for the review that the food critic writes? It sounds very familiar in some of the terms.
I am not sure what you mean. Are you referring to Anton Ego's review?
Yes, the one he writes after being served at Gusteau’s. I am sure I have heard some of those phrases elsewhere, but am unable to place it.
I’ve seen the 9 minute trailer on DirecTV, and, don’t forget the rat falls into the dishwater when he first enters the kitchen. See? All clean. :-)
I’m taking my kids to see this one.
Safe for the kids! Enjoy! Thanks for the review LN.
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